Social media giant Facebook launched the #BeDiscovered campaign in Bangladesh to showcase local entrepreneurs that are using digital platforms to grow their businesses.
As part of its global efforts to support small and medium businesses, Facebook will partner with Bangladeshi entrepreneurs to help tell their stories.
The #BeDiscovered campaign includes a series of live discussions on Facebook and Instagram where entrepreneurs will share their experiences and online growth strategies. They will be joined by Facebook spokespersons who will share tips about digital tools and features that can help turn business ideas into reality. The campaign will provide audiences with a crash course on cost-effective business development on digital platforms.
To kick-off this campaign, Ghulam Sumdany Don, corporate trainer and founder of Don Sumdany Facilitation, hosted a live virtual discussion on Facebook on Monday night with two local entrepreneurs and representatives from Facebook and Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS).
“Small businesses in Bangladesh have taken a huge hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic – especially, women-owned businesses,” said Jordi Fornies, Director of Emerging Markets, APAC at Facebook. “We want to support local entrepreneurs and help businesses adapt as consumer trends shift. There are so many inspiring stories around us and we hope through the #BeDiscovered campaign, businesses can learn from each other’s experiences and leverage digital platforms to keep growing.”
Entrepreneurs, Sayma Rahman, founder and owner of Style Echo and Namira Hossain, co-founder and CEO of Cookups joined the discussion and shared their experiences of starting Facebook pages that grew into successful businesses. They spoke about refocusing their strategies during the pandemic, engaging with customers online and continuing to deliver products and services despite the challenges.
Syed Almas Kabir, President of BASIS discussed the opportunities that digital tools provide and how it can help bridge the gender gap. He said, “This platform has given many dreamers and entrepreneurs the opportunity to sell their products online, even from remote places in Bangladesh. I hope that Facebook will keep supporting Bangladeshi small businesses, especially female entrepreneurs. It not only strengthens our economy, but also makes them more financially empowered.”
Earlier this month, Facebook released its latest wave of the Global State of Small Business Report, in collaboration with the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank.
The report found that 35 percent of small and medium businesses globally are adopting digital tools to adapt to new ways of working after the pandemic. In Bangladesh, 46 percent of businesses surveyed in October reported that more than one-fourth of their sales were made digitally in the previous month. 61 percent reported they felt optimistic about the future of their business.
